Oct 21 / Star Khechara

What Are AGEs? The Skin-Ageing Effects of Glycation

Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) are harmful compounds formed when sugar molecules bond with proteins or fats in a process called glycation. In the skin, AGEs cause collagen and elastin fibres to cross-link, making them stiff, brittle, and non-functional. This leads to skin that is thinner, less supple, and more prone to wrinkles and sagging.

AGEs also disrupt collagen renewal and contribute to a dull, sallow complexion by creating lipofuscin, the pigment behind brown “age spots”. Beyond visible ageing, AGEs trigger inflammation, oxidative stress, and poor circulation, all of which accelerate cellular damage.

Over time, AGE accumulation stimulates Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs), enzymes that break down collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid, further degrading the skin’s structure and hydration. In essence, AGEs are one of the most potent internal drivers of premature skin ageing.

References

  1. Paraskevi Gkogkolou and Markus Böhm ‘Advanced glycation end products key players in skin aging? Dermatoendocrinol. 2012 Jul 1; 4(3): 259–270.*
  2. Chen Chun-yu, et al. Front Med (Lausanne). Vol 9 (2022). | ‘Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) in the Skin: Molecular Mechanisms, etc.
  3. Silke K. Schagen. ‘Discovering the link between nutrition and skin aging'. Dermatoendocrinol. 2012 Jul 1; 4(3): 298–307. 
  4. McCarty MF. The low-AGE content of low-fat vegan diets could benefit diabetics - though concurrent taurine supplementation may be needed to minimize endogenous AGE production. Med Hypotheses. 2005;64(2):394-8
  5. Abdullah KM. et al ‘Inhibitory effect of vitamin B3 against glycation and reactive oxygen species production in HSA: An in vitro approach’. Arch. Biochem.Biophys.2007; 627: 21-29 cited by Alexander J. Michels, Ph.D.
  6. Liu These authors contributed equally., L., Xie, Y., Song, Z., Shang, S., & Chen, X. (2012). Influence of dietary flavonoids on the glycation of plasma proteins. Molecular BioSystems, 8(8), 2183-2187.


Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) make the most sense when viewed as part of an integrated skin nutrition framework, not as a single intervention.

While they are often discussed in isolation as "sugar damage", they are actually one piece of a much larger framework.

When you zoom out, it connects to nutritional biochemistry, inflammatory load, hormonal signalling, and the biological acceleration of skin ageing.
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Star Khechara

Professional agehacker, author, speaker and founder of Skin Nutrition Institute
About me
Skincare formulator and beauty author turned skin-nutrition educator: Star distilled her 20+ years of skin-health knowledge into the world’s first international accredited skin-nutrition school to teach skin therapists, facialists, face yoga practitioners and estheticians how to help their clients feed the skin from within for cellular-level rejuvenation and vibrant beauty. 
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